Humanity's Strongest Pair
by Homely
Summary: When Levi and Mikasa start training together, people begin to spread rumors about them. Things get... Weird. LevixMikasa. Spoilers if you haven't read the manga.
1. Like a Dog on a Leash

**Humanity's Strongest Pair**

* * *

**_chapter one; _**_a dog on a leash_

* * *

Amongst all the troops of the Survey Corps, anyone could see it.

Their close proximity; the way they both leaned in slightly when the spoke to one another, their piercing eyes never wavering sight.

_"They're totally fucking," _people would say in gossiping tones, whispering to each other as they ate their food. Every day, right as lunch was ending, Lance Corporal Levi would enter the hall and find Mikasa Ackerman sitting among her peers. And every day, she would glower at him with the same damn expression that made his blood boil. That disrespectful, indignant stare that he virtually mirrored. Of course, everyone thought this was just an act to mask their coveted romance.

Everyone but the perps themselves.

It was sunny on the fifth day that Levi had came to get Mikasa after lunch. He found her at her sitting with Jean and Armin, and approached them in a characteristically cocky manor. "Good afternoon." He spoke with his apathetic tone. The Lance Corporal was trademarked for always looking bored; he wore a pair of piercing blue eyes that abstractly drilled holes into anyone who challenged them. Despite Ackerman, of course, who was trademarked for having primarily the same traits. She, like Levi, was also cold, apathetic and distant by personality.

She was also one of the most skilled members left in the Survey Corps other than Humanity's Strongest Solider himself.

"Ackerman, come." Levi spoke nonchalantly, signalling her to follow with a wave of his hand. Mikasa did not meet the eyes of her two friends as she calmly stood up and followed without a word of a goodbye. She was ignorant to the eyes that watched her and the whispers that followed.

"I don't understand." Jean said to Armin, crossing his arms over his chest. "What does Mikasa see in a guy like that? He's like... Old."

Armin warily watched them leave the room before meeting eyes with Jean. "Well, he is humanity's best... I've heard a lot of the girl's admire him."

The young man pouted. "Hmph. I think he's a freak."

"Don't say things like that, Jean. You'll get in a lot of trouble if that gets back to Corporal Levi."

"I don't care, he's the one who's fraternizing with a girl who's way too young for him."

"I don't think that there's anything actually happening between them." Armin spoke with a reasoning tone. "Corporal Levi is training Mikasa, I see them every day. And when I ask her about him, she speaks of him maliciously, as if she really hates him. I know Mikasa very well."

Jean glared out the window to see the two walking off into the distance. "I'm still not convinced."

* * *

In the forest nearby, there were exactly ten large 'titans' set up as an obstacle course. These imitation beasts were made of wood and bags of sand, not nearly as intimidating as the real things, but for practise they would suffice.

Mikasa was getting bored of cutting up bags of sand, though. Regardless, she latched her 3D manuever gear on the back of the first one; a 15 meter class. Swiftly, she twirled her body and sliced a perfect cut into the sand bags that were supposed to be the nape of the beast's neck. From there, she latched her grappling hook on the next one; a 10 meter class. She flung her body naturally, as if the gear were really a part of her body, and repeated the same technique. Levi watched as she repeated this for every single 'titan' that was there. Once completed, the man looked at his watch.

"Not bad, Ackerman." He said as she approached him. "You were only 30 seconds off of beating your record that time."

"I'm bored of this." She ignored him, sheathing her blades. She wasn't even winded from her previous exertion. "I say we get some _real _practise." There was a dangerous glint in her eye.

"At this present time, we have no idea what's going on behind that wall. Risking encountering something like the female type titan is too risky just to get some practise." Levi crossed his arms over his toned chest. He too, was bored, but he wasn't reckless.

"The chances of us running into a titan like that are extremely unlikely." The two began to walk back towards the castle.

"It's not happening."

Mikasa sighed; the Corporal's words were a rock, and though she could slay titan's as if it were embedded in her blood, she could not move mountains. She gave up quickly, realizing that bickering with the bitter man would only anger her.

"If you want to save Eren, just shut up and do as I say." He continued indifferently. A glimmer of emotion flashed in Mikasa's empty eyes. Levi had been working with her for long enough now to know how to strike her weak point, not that it would be hard for even a simpleton to figure out.

"It's been a full week since our last expedition, _sir. _When are we going to go after him? I can' t afford to just sit around and wait." She explained as they entered the Survey Corps headquarters.

"You will wait for as long as Commander Irvin needs you to wait." He said, turning to her as they stopped in the main hall. He stood close to her, like he always did, and met her eyes. Despite Levi being shorter than her, Mikasa often felt like he was looming over her when he stood close like this.

"But I-"

He cut her off by patting her on the head, then turning his back to her. "Go eat and reconcile with me later." He dismissed her with his hand as he walked down the hall, leaving her with a flustered pout on her face. She watched his back for a few moments, considering pestering him more, but instead let out a small breath of exasperation and entered the dining hall, where most of her teammates were already sitting.

Mikasa wasn't blind to the looks people were giving her. They would always look away in fright as soon as they met her icy gaze, but they continued to whisper. As she was walking through the aisles, she heard a glimpse of a conversation that really made her skin crawl; _"I wonder if they fuck in his office."_

_"That's gross, he's way too old for her."_

Mikasa swirled on her heel and locked eyes with two boys who had stared at her earlier. She stormed up to them, and they stared at her like deer caught in headlights. "What did you just say?" She demanded, her tone as harsh as her expression.

"N-Nothing, Mikasa." The blonde boy yelped.

"Yeah, we were just having a conversation..." The other boy stated, giving her a bit of attitude. Mikasa wasn't having it.

"Who were you just talking about?"

"Does it matter?" He cocked an eyebrow. Mikasa realized then that everyone was looking at them; she had made a scene. With a sigh of defeat, she glared daggers into the two boys before she went on her way. She kept a high air of confidence around her, ignoring all the eyes that followed her figure as she sat down at Armin's table.

"Mikasa, what was that about?" The small blonde asked her, concern lacing his voice.

The girl was hesitant to answer. "Nothing." She said darkly, replaying the scene in her head. _Is that what people are gossiping about? Do they think I'm having sex with him? _She shuddered in disgust. Her and Levi weren't even friends, let alone in an intimate relationship. She grew angry then, pissed that people would automatically assume something like that when he was simply training her.

Armin decided to leave it alone; Mikasa was in a venomous mood, and he knew not to tangle with her when she was like that. The girl went and got her food, and sat alone for the rest of the period.

* * *

Levi waited in his office for the girl to show up. He replayed that day's training session in his mind, impressed by her performance, though he wasn't one to hand out praise. He stared out the window, watching the sky slowly transform from a mixture of blue and purple to pink and orange. There was a knock at his door.

"Enter."

Mikasa poked her head in, as if she needed more approval than that to enter his office. Once she saw his nod of approval, she walked in and sat down at the chair in front of his mahogany desk. His office was beginning to grow familiar to her. Normally, around the Corporal, Mikasa gave off her usual air of confidence, but this time, she seemed to be feeling a bit awkward. Levi noticed when he sat down at his desk, and saw that for the first time, she was averting his eyes.

"What's with you?" He asked with a grimace. Levi was never one to beat around the bush, and neither was Mikasa.

"I think people are spreading weird rumors about us." A pink blush uncharacteristically tinged her pale cheeks. Levi cocked an eyebrow, leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. His hands were clasped firmly together; this was probably his 'interested' pose.

"Oh?"

The girl shuffled uncomfortable in her seat. "They think we're having sex, Corporal."

Silence.

Levi felt the heat rise to his face; he was not, by any means, expecting those words to come out of her mouth. "What the fuck?" Was all he had to say. "Who's saying this shit?"

"I heard two boys talking about it during dinner... And everyone seems to be giving me weird looks lately. I thought they were jealous that I was training with you, apparently, that is not the case." The girl was having difficulty meeting the Corporal's eyes.

"Who gives a fuck?"

Mikasa caught a hold of them then. Nothing had changed in his orbs; dead, bored, the usual. "Well... I don't know." _Who gives a fuck? Really?_

Levi sighed. "I'm beyond the point of teenage gossip. Let them talk. I didn't want to meet up with you so we could discuss petty rumors."

Mikasa was at a loss for words, before a grimace formed on her face. She was no longer finding it hard to meet his stare. "I find these rumors disturbing. Everyone is staring at me and whispering about me. Can't you do something?"

"Like what? Defend it and make it look even more suspicious?" His voice held a condescending tone, making Mikasa's fists clench in irritation. "Look, I get that you're a teenage girl and shit, but this isn't my problem. These rumors don't bother me, and they won't bother you unless you let them get to you. So either shut up and talk to me about business or go get lost behind the wall."

The girl abruptly stood to her feet and slammed her hands on his desk. "Go to hell." She spat through clenched teeth, before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Levi rolled his eyes, thinking _and this is why teenagers make crappy soldiers. _

* * *

Levi noticed some of the younger soldiers staring at him funny as he walked down the hall towards Commander Irvin's office. He shot them daggers as he passed, so they instantly wiped the looks off their faces and saluted him. He inwardly smiled, musing about how nice it was to be respected. _No one fucks with me._

_Except for her..._

He couldn't get the image of her leaning over his desk, looking him dead in the eyes and slurring _"go to hell." _

"Tch." He scoffed. _Insolent brat._

Levi entered the Commander's office without knocking, instantly signalling to Irvin that he was pissed about something.

"Levi? What is it?" The man asked cluelessly. He was poised behind his desk, looking over a map.

"I need to talk to you about something." Levi answered casually, helping himself to a seat.

"Go on then."

"Irvin, why the hell are you having me train a child?"

There were a few moments of silence as the Commander pondered this statement. "I assume you are talking about Mikasa Ackerman?"

"The one and only." Levi's tone was even more bitter than usual, Irvin noticed.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Nothing worth mentioning, really, other than her total lack of respect for authority and absence of control over her childish emotions."

Irvin thought about Mikasa, and the description Levi was making just didn't fit. "What are you talking about? Ackerman is a star soldier well deserving of recognition... That is why I chose her to be your pupil."

"I don't want her." Levi stated blandly.

"What's this about?" Irvin scowled.

"She's a brat."

"I understand she can be reckless at times, but that's why I need you to train her. Her skills in battle are exceptional." The man cleared his throat. "And after what happened..." A grim silence fell on the room. "I'm sorry, but we need her talent."

"She told me to go to hell."

"Oh, get over it, Levi." Irvin waved his hand at his prodigy. "Knowing you, you said something about Jaeger and pissed her off. You've told me to go to hell before."

"Touche..." Levi muttered. To his dismay, his superior made a valid point.

"Continue with the training. You know better than to let your emotions get in the way of business."

He sighed, standing to his feet. Of course, he had gotten no where. "As always, I must trust your decision, Irvin." He spoke unconcerned, and disappeared through the door. As he exited, he noticed two girls look at him, then giggle and look away. He sent them a twisted glare, but they were already speeding down the hall.

_Is this what Ackerman was talking about earlier? _He thought, irritated. He brushed it off and continued down to corridor towards the stairs, where he saw _another _pair of people walking look back at him, giggle and dip down the hall. "The fuck..." He muttered aloud. How long had this been going on? Had it been days and he'd not even noticed? Levi wasn't one to pay attention to such trivial things, but after Mikasa had brought it up...

It kinda pissed him off.

* * *

The next day, when Levi came to meet Mikasa, he was in a _particularly _sour mood. When he entered the dining hall, he glared at every single person that met his eyes. Especially Mikasa. He didn't bother pretending to be friendly.

"Come." He stated. She looked at Armin and rolled her eyes, before following after the Corporal like a dog on a leash.

* * *

Mikasa's heart pounded even heavier in her chest with each step she took. How many laps had she ran at that point? 100? 200? She wasn't able to tell. As soon as the Corporal had told her to start running, not giving her a set amount of laps, her mind had wandered elsewhere. Her body was now on auto pilot, but she didn't forget about the pair of daunting orbs that watched her every step of the way. She thought about Eren; saving him from those monstrous titans was her drive to push forward. She had to get him back; she _had _to protect him.

After what could have been her thousandth lap, Levi called for her to stop. She slowly came to a halt, gasping for air as she did so, only then snapping back into reality.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Levi inquired with genuine curiosity, though that irate sarcasm never left his voice. He had been seated on a chair beside the field, poised with one leg crossed over the other. He was such an infuriating man, Mikasa thought.

"N-No, sir." She panted, only then realizing how much she had exerted her body.

"Really? Because it looks like you are, to me."

The girl stumbled to the empty chair that was next to the Corporal and collapsed in it, before chugging what was left of her water bottle. "You didn't give me a time limit, or a set number of laps, so I just ran."

Levi laughed once, mockingly. "I see. I'm surprised you aren't dead."

Mikasa continued to breathe heavily, though her heart rate was slowly starting to settle. "I-I'm fine." _Such stubborness, _Levi thought, eyes tracing the profile of her flushed face. "Why are you making me run laps?" She continued after she caught her breath. "I run laps every single morning. I should be practising with the titan dummys."

"Don't tell me what you should be doing, Ackerman." Levi said bitterly. "Think of yourself as an insolent dog, and I am your master."

She shot him daggers then, thinking _fucking prick, _but chose to make no comeback. Levi could feel the aggression in her stare. Most people looked to him with respect and admiration in their eyes, but when Mikasa looked at him, it felt more like she was looking straight past him. As if she were seeking to reach a certain goal, and he was but an obstacle in her way.

That thought irked him.

"You don't like me very much, do you, Ackerman?" He queried, and Mikasa's head instantly snapped to him.

She hesitated, but of course, being Mikasa Ackerman, she spoke her mind. "No, I don't."

Levi raised his eyebrows, not sure if he was pissed off or impressed that she was so open about that. "Out of all my years working in the military, I've never quite come across such a disrespectful brat such as yourself."

"I've never come across such a cold-blooded solider like _you. _Beating the shit out of Eren when he was tied down like that... That was disgusting." She spat.

Well, the girl had guts. With any normal solider, Levi would have probably beat her up too, but he was surprisingly amused by this lack of respect. He would get back at her for this in his own ways. "That was a long time ago, Ackerman. I understand your vendetta, but also keep in mind how many times I've _saved_ Eren's life."

"Regardless, you beat the hell out of him while he was completely helpless... That isn't very _noble, _if you ask me, sir."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I don't give a shit." He laughed slightly then, looking to her with a somewhat mischievous smirk. "And if you think you don't like me now..." He grabbed her by the back of her head and forced her to meet his eyes. "You are going to _despise _me by the time I'm through with you."

* * *

Hours later, and Mikasa didn't doubt the Corporal's words for a second. The day was finally over, and he let her leave for dinner; every muscle in her body seemed to tense up as she moved. It had been a long time since she'd pushed herself so far, and she couldn't get the image of Levi out of her head. _His shitty personality is enough to fuel my anger for days... _She mused to herself, thinking back to all the sickening things he'd said to her throughout the day.

_"Think of yourself as an insolent dog, and I am your master."_

Her blood was even hotter thinking about that simple sentence than it was after running all those laps earlier. _He's not my fucking master..._

She sighed as she entered the dining hall thinking _sadly, for now, he must be. For Eren's sake..._

As usual, she felt many eyes fall on her. It didn't help that she was still red faced and sweaty from exerting herself all day while Levi basically sat on his ass and did nothing the entire time. She grabbed her dinner, then made her way to Armin's table where he was sitting with Jean and Sasha. Their eyes watched her as she sat down, but she did not meet any of theirs. She just sat there and poked at her food, before finally deciding to take a bite of the bread.

"Uh, what's up, Mikasa?" Jean asked warily.

"Nothing." The girl answered quietly. Her black hair hung over her eyes. Everyone knew that Mikasa was severely depressed without Eren around, but this seemed different.

"Is something wrong?" Armin asked innocently.

"No." She answered dryly. Everyone exchanged a glance before shrugging it off. Mikasa was as stubborn as wall Maria; they would need a colossal titan to break her in.

* * *

Mikasa tore off her uniform and went straight for the bathroom; a shower was necessary after a horrible day like that. After running, Levi basically made her lift extremely heavy objects until she could barely stand. He then made her clean horse shit out of the stables. And after that, they hit the training ground, where she took down several fake titans. And then, finally, Levi decided to test her reflexes with his own hands.

She was hesitant to hit him, at first; she felt like it was some sort of trick, and that if she tried to attack him, he would turn on her and put her in jail. But that wasn't the case; he attacked her first, putting her in a tight choke hold.

_"Fight back." _He demanded, his voice alone infuriating her beyond her control. _"Pretend that I'm the only thing sitting in the way of you and Eren."_

Mikasa lunged at her superior, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted it painfully. _"Not fast enough."_

At the end of it all, she wasn't able to land a single hit on him. He could have beaten her to a pulp, but he didn't use his fists with her, he just grabbed her wrists and twisted her arms painfully to restrict her. She was curious if the only reason he hadn't beaten her was because she was a girl. _It's not fair, _she thought. _My strength can't match his. Todays training was nothing like it has been the past week..._

Before, he would just have her repeatedly take down fake titans and test her speed, or have her lift weights. Not do chores and spar one on one with him.

The hot water poured against her back, and she then wondered why she was bothering to think of him during her relaxation period. Though the entire day had made her livid, she was thankful that at least, at the end of it all, she was able to relax, shower, and be alone with her thoughts. But after being with the Corporal all day, she wasn't able to get that stoic face out of her mind; and she would have to do it all again tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: **Hello all, this is my first stab at an SNK fic... I ship this pairing way too hard. Anyway, I'm not too sure if I'm totally happy with the outcome of the story, but I just had to add something to the fandom ;P so let me know what you think, and if you think I should continue! Some constructive criticism would be appreciated, if necessary.

Please **review! **


	2. Disobedience

**Humanity's Strongest Pair**

* * *

_**chapter two; **__disobedience_

* * *

Levi's vision never strayed from Mikasa's as the two sat opposite of each other in his office. He observed as the girl's eyes darted from his, and back to the crystal clear glass of water that was held firmly in his hand. He held it in the middle of the table, waiting for her to make a move; and when she did, he would swiftly pull the cup towards him and out of her grasp. She huffed, and the same pattern continued. Though his expression held nothing, he was amused.

She went to grab the cup again, and Levi pulled the same trick. This time, Mikasa's huff raged louder.

"Sir..." She began, wearing an angry pout on her face. He kept the normal dead expression and said nothing, so she tried to grab the glass again... And yet another fail threw her over the edge. She inhaled sharply, trying to control her composure. "_Corporal_, sir. Can I please have the water now?"

"I don't know, can you?" He replied condescendingly. She reached for it again, yet he did the same damn thing. Mikasa couldn't handle much more of this; he had worked her all morning. She was exhausted, hungry, and especially _thirsty. _The dryness in her mouth ached to her inner core, where all she craved was water. And it was right in front of her. The demeanor that Mikasa put on when she was around the Corporal was crumbling; she tried to be 'respectful', but there was only so much that she could take.

"Give me the water." She stated, boring her stoic eyes into his. He had seen this look on her face before, specifically, the time that he had beaten Eren to a pulp. Mikasa had been ready to beat Levi's face in, but she was held back by Armin. Occasionally, Levi mused what the outcome would have been had she actually gotten to him. Putting this thought aside, he stayed silent as he stared into her angered orbs.

The man cocked an eyebrow. "No."

"I'm not seeing the purpose of this exercise, _sir." _Mikasa gritted her teeth. Levi would have smirked, but that would have ruined his poise. He was finally making her crack; he was seeing some of that true personality that he was longing to toy with. Yes, he would keep testing this. He liked to really _know _his pupils, after all. When the man refused to answer, Mikasa took a deep breath and continued. "Corporal, I am not understanding the point of this. Give give me the water, please."

He shook his head, and Mikasa had just about had it. She stood up and went to grab the water, but when the Corporal swiped the glass away, she leaned over his desk in another attempt to snatch it. In response, Levi quickly stood to his feet and stepped away from her reach yet again. Mikasa's fists clenched.

"I'm losing my patience." She uttered, and Levi almost laughed.

"Am I supposed to be threatened by that?"

_That's it, _Mikasa thought, before she pounced after the man. Somehow, during this time frame, Levi had managed to safely put the cup on the table and grab a hold of Mikasa's wrists. He held them together behind her back using his one hand, and using his other, he slammed her head against the table. She found herself being awkwardly bent over, her cheek being painfully smushed into the wood, and still thirsty as hell.

"L-Let go of me!" She spat, attempting to break free with no avail. Her strength was nothing compared to his, and she hated that the most; she _detested _feeling weak. The cup of water was right in front of her face, too.

"And if I don't?" He pushed her head farther into the wood. He was just having fun now.

"Why the hell are you holding me like this?"

"Because, you are disobedient." He pressed his body closer to hers, twisting her wrists painfully. "Dogs should know their place."

"O-Ouch! That fucking hurts!" She sputtered. "And I'm not a fucking dog!"

He scoffed. "Dog."

"You're sick..." Feeling his body press up against hers, she began to squirm more, not taking light of this highly inappropriate position. She wasn't surprised; he seemed to get some twisted pleasure out of making her feel uncomfortable. It took Levi a few moments to realize how distasteful sexual this place was; he'd almost forgotten that Mikasa was a girl. So he abruptly threw himself off of her and backed away, disgusted that such a thought would even enter his mind.

Mikasa was confused about his sudden loss of composure, but used this as her opportunity to grab the water and drink every last drop. Levi didn't care, this time. He was too busy shaking those putrid thoughts from his mind.

"Ugh, I've had enough for today..." He muttered, unable to look her in the eye. "Go clean up horse shit or something..."

"What's wrong with you?" She scowled.

"Get out."

Mikasa cocked an eyebrow, before placing the empty cup on his desk and leaving without a word.

She stormed down the hall with her fists clenched, receiving awkward looks from whoever she passed by. Why were they wasting so much time? Mikasa's thoughts were always plagued. She needed to get Eren back; there was simply no time for her to be playing the Corporal's twisted games. She felt caged, being confided to this castle, being forced to work with Levi, and having absolutely no say in when or how they would be retrieving Eren.

Mikasa burst out the door of the castle and headed towards the horses. She wasn't sure if cleaning up their shit was really a direct order, but she would do it anyway. At least the horses couldn't talk back to her.

The thought of Levi holding her that way was making her stomach flop. _If it had been anyone else, they'd be dead... _She thought grimly. She'd sparred when men and women alike and had always come out victorious.

Then this guy comes along and treats her like an animal?

_That short bastard, _she thought as she shovelled mounds of memoire, heedless that Levi's eyes were watching her from inside.

* * *

Mikasa knew that she wasn't supposed to leave the castle after curfew, but with everything that was happening, she simply couldn't be at ease. She needed to blow off some steam, literally. So all equipped in her gear, she crept through the dead halls, out the door and into the calm night. She kept her steps light as she walked across the damp grass towards the forest.

But that was when she noticed a figure.

A man was walking past; he was also fully equipped with his 3D manuever gear. Mikasa froze upon seeing him, but it took a moment for the make to take notice of her presence; this man being Corporal Levi, of course. With Mikasa's luck, she realized then that she made an idiotic decision by thinking she would get away with sneaking out.

And it just _had _to be Levi, of all people.

The two stared at each other for a moment from a distance. It wasn't like their usual, venomous stares from one to the other though; they both just looked tired, and somewhat solemn. Time froze for a moment, and a cool breeze blew their hair in their faces.

Mikasa was expecting her superior to storm up to her, grab her by the scarf and lead her back to her room, but instead, saying no words he slowly walked up to her. She was wary, but took a few steps forward as well, until they were close enough to speak comfortably.

"Ackerman, what are you doing here?" He inquired in a tone she had never heard from him before. He sounded worn out.

"I couldn't sleep, sir. I was just going to get some practise with my gear in the forest."

"You know there's a curfew."

"I know." She turned a little. "I don't know what I was thinking, I'll go back-"

He cut her off by grabbing her arm. She jumped at the sudden contact. "It's fine. I'll just monitor you."

Mikasa eyed him suspiciously. This was uncharacteristic of the man, but something in those eyes of his was telling the girl that he was being sincere. _He almost looks sad... _She thought, before she shrugged off his arm and started to walk towards the forest. Levi always walked close to her and she wasn't sure why. It was like he was afraid of her running off and falling out of his treacherous grasp.

The two spoke no words as they entered the forest, and with a simply exchange of a glance, they knew it was the signal to take off. The two expert soldiers whipped their way through the trees, avoiding any obstacles as if their gear was their wings. They had no destination, and somehow, the two of them knew what the other was thinking in terms of direction. Despite Mikasa and Levi's poor conversation skills with one another, they had chemistry in battle; they had to recognize that, though neither of them would ever admit it.

Levi was amazed that such a girl could be so skilled. _She might even be able to kill me one day, _he thought, swinging past her. The two continued on until they reached a clearing in the forest, where there was a quaint river streaming through. Levi came to an abrupt halt, throwing Mikasa off for a moment, before she swiftly swung around and landed next to him.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked, burrowing her eyebrows at the older man.

"I want to sit." He stated simply, before dusting off a rock and making it his seat.

"Why?"

"Just sit."

Mikasa rolled her eyes, but did the same with a separate rock near him. She was seated on a smaller one just before him, so for once, Levi appeared to be taller than her. She had to admit that the sound of the running water, combined with the crickets chirping everywhere, was relaxing. It was a nice change. She looked at Levi and saw that his eyes were shut. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"So... Why are you out this late?" She queried.

"Hmm?" He lazily opened his eyes and looked at her. "I haven't slept much recently, that's all. The forest at night is relaxing."

Mikasa was at a loss for words. Was the Corporal always so strange at night? His stoic demeanor seemed to have fallen off, leaving behind a worn out, exhausted shell of a man. She didn't know why, but she wanted to know what was going on behind those lifeless orbs.

"You shouldn't worry about him, you know." Levi spoke, catching the girl off guard.

She blushed and looked away. "Eren? Of course I should..." She muttered. Oddly enough, she hadn't been thinking about Eren.

"Fate works in funny ways." He said through a yawn. "We'll do everything we can to get him back. If we can't, then we can't, but I'm willing to give up my life, if that is what Commander Irvin sees as best for humanity." His eyes were staring blandly at the moon, but Mikasa was tracing his face with her vision. She'd never seen him in a light like this; the moonlight illuminated his pale skin, contrasting with his dark features. It was hard to tell how old Levi really was; he held the appearance of a young man, but his skin was aged with years of death and destruction. The dark circles under his eyes and the healed scars hardened over his skin told stories of his gruesome past.

Levi wasn't thinking about that, though.

He had been earlier, as he wandered through the night, until he ran into the young woman. Somehow, since he'd met up with her, she'd been able to keep his mind away from the battlefield.

"Would you really give up your life for Eren?" Mikasa asked in a soft tone as his eyes flickered to her.

"I would give up my life for humanity, not for Eren."

She nodded. "I didn't think you were one to care much for anyone."

"Believe it or not, Ackerman, I am a person too. I grew up in the same vicious world that you have. And trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

Mikasa couldn't help but frown, unsure why he was telling her this. "What do you mean?" She hesitantly asked.

"Eren is still alive, right? You haven't seen him die yet."

She flinched at his words. _Yet. _She recalled what had happened on the 57th expedition outside of the wall, where the female type titan had slaughtered every member of Levi's hand-picked squad. The Special Ops squad, also known as Squad Levi; they had been by his side for years, and to think that all of them were wiped out on one single mission. She now understood why he was acting so strange; _you're thinking of them, aren't you?_

As she pondered these things, for the first time, Mikasa really did look at Corporal Levi as a person, and not just her cold-blooded superior. She wanted to ask if he loved one of them the same way she loved Eren, but figured that bringing it up would be a bad idea. Instead, they both sat there, shrouded in a comfortable silence. Neither of them knew that it was possible to be content around the other.

* * *

"You're never going to beat me like that." Levi slurred, twisting Mikasa's arm behind her so she couldn't move. He released her from the hold and she twirled around to meet his eyes, her teeth clenched in anger.

"Shouldn't I be training to kill titans?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or do you just want me to be strong enough to kill _you_ one day?"

Levi almost laughed. "You can't even get out of a simple choke hold." Though he belittled her, he would never tell her the real strength it took him to keep her down. He could do it, of course, but he was baffled that such a young girl could actually struggle against him. Mikasa was pissed off that she was able to hold down any person that she had sparred against, but couldn't even budge against Levi.

_Well, he is humanity's strongest... _She thought with a roll of her eyes. She contemplated asking Jean or another one of the stronger boys to spar with her later, just so she could regain some of her dominance... But that wouldn't get her any closer to beating the shit out of the Corporal or saving Eren. So instead, she shut her mouth and followed him to whatever torture he was leading her to next.

"You know, Ackerman..." Levi started, glancing at her as they walked side by side. "Just because I let you away with going out past curfew last night, doesn't mean it's going to happen again."

Mikasa had almost forgotten about the event, since it seemed to dream like. Sitting with him under the stars, neither of them speaking with any hostility... It just wasn't natural. "I understand." She spoke meekly. They approached the trees where the titan dummy's were all ready for them to use, when Mikasa noticed two familiar figures not far in the distance. Jean glared at them, while Armin looked at them with what appeared to be a concerned frown. Mikasa glowered at them as she entered the forest behind the Corporal.

"Don't let it bother you." Levi said, as if he could read her mind. "Brats talk. I haven't heard any of the adults say anything about us. And if Irvin had heard about it, then he would have asked me. So, this just proves that your friends are simply gossiping, and eventually, they'll find something new to gossip about. I get that it's annoying, but we just don't have time to worry about that kind of shit." He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Close, as always. "Am I right?"

Mikasa gulped. "Yes. You're right."

"Good." He twirled on his ankle and kept walking forward, with Mikasa reluctantly trailing behind.

"Um, sir..." She peeped. "Has Commander Irvin said anything about when we're leaving yet?"

Levi sent her a glare, before turning his gaze back to the trees in front of him. "No." He stated.

Mikasa was quiet for another minute before she spoke again. "The longer we wait, the farther they could be getting away from us. Their trail is probably already long gone. How are we supposed to-"

"We're figuring it out." Levi cut her off. She took note of how on edge he seemed after she brought it up. "You're just going to have to shut up and trust Irvin." _Like the rest of us... _He thought, somewhat bitterly. Mikasa scowled at the back of his head.

"I'm sick of waiting around like cattle to be slaughtered." She said through clenched teeth, finally gaining another glance from the Corporal. As always, he didn't look impressed. "I'm going to talk to Commander Irvin tonight."

"You'll do no such thing." Levi stopped and faced her, boring his eyes into hers. He hated the way she looked back at him with such strength and confidence. A girl of her age and standpoint was supposed to shut up and do whatever he said, which was the main reason Mikasa Ackerman got under his skin.

"Why not?" She grimaced, her eyes never wavering.

"You have no idea how busy he is-" He paused himself and shook his head. "No. I don't need to explain anything to you. Just shut the hell up and follow orders. Know your place."

Mikasa's frown only deepened. "Fine." She spat, before twirling away from him and walking ahead. He let out an exasperated sigh as he watched her storm off.

* * *

It was later in the evening, around 8 o'clock when Mikasa crept her way through the corridors. She'd seen Levi outside with Hanji only five minutes prior, so she was certain that she'd be safe. She found her way to Commander Irvin's office, where she heard his voice beyond the door.

"Fuck! This isn't going to work..." The man muttered as Mikasa knocked on his door. "Come in." He said, and the girl revealed herself. Irvin sent her a quizzical look, not expecting Mikasa to be the one at his door. "Ms. Ackerman." He nodded, welcoming her in. She reluctantly took the seat in front of his desk and noticed all the different maps he had drawn out all over it.

"Sorry to bother you, sir." She said quietly. Unlike Levi, Commander Irvin was a kind, a respectable role model in Mikasa's eyes. Her vision danced over his uniform, noticing the sleeve that was empty.

"That's all right, I can spare a few minutes. What brings you to my office?"

"It's about our next move, sir."

"Oh?" The man straightened his back. "What would you like to know?"

"The status, sir."

"I see... So you want to know what we're doing then."

She nodded meekly, and Irvin let out a heavy sigh. He pulled out three maps from his drawer and placed them on top of the desk, facing her. They were all well laid out formation plans, each map displaying something slightly different. Mikasa looked them over before sending her commander a quizzical look.

"We don't have enough people... I've tried to devise multiple plans that are within our means but it's just too damn risky." Irvin's eyebrows furrowed in distress, a combination of sadness and anger forming in his gentle blue orbs. "I can't even function properly without my arm, and the Scouting Legion can't afford to lose any more men."

Mikasa cleared her throat. "With permission to speak, sir... Perhaps we don't need to use every solider... Perhaps a small team would be more efficient."

"How do you figure?"

"Well with a small team of people, we would go less noticed. We might be able to sneak up on them while they are in their human forms."

"I've thought that through as well, Mikasa, but came to the conclusion that it would also be too risky... If other titans followed you, then the shifters would know that there are people around."

"Not if part of the team was used to lure the titans away while, say, two people snuck into their camp and grabbed Eren."

Irvin pondered her proposal for a moment. "We would need to use our absolute strongest. And if something were to go wrong, and we were to lose someone like you, Levi or Hanji-"

"It looks like we're running out of options, Irvin." A new voice entered the conversation, sending chills of shock up Mikasa's spine. With each clack of the Corporal's shoes as he approached the two, Mikasa sweatdropped. When the man stood beside her, she was hesitant to look up at him.

"Levi." Irvin said. "Did you hear all that?"

The man shrugged. "Only some of it." He looked down at Mikasa, who avoided him like he avoided dust. Levi grabbed one of the chairs from the corner of the room and pulled it beside Mikasa, lazily helping himself to the seat. "How I look at it is, we have three options. A, we risk our entire army and send out every troop. B, we risk a small portion of our army, particularly the strongest. Or C, we give up and sit around and wait to die."

Irvin flinched at his old friends words.

"Either way..." Levi continued, crossing his legs. "We might not get out of this alive. But we'll certainly all die if we take option C."

"We don't even know where they are. We know absolutely nothing." Irvin insisted. It bothered Levi to see someone as strong as Irvin losing his will to fight.

"We know a general direction..." Mikasa peeped, gaining the two superiors attention. This thought was radical, and she wanted to bite her tongue off for suggesting it, but for the sake of Eren she blurted out her words. "We could put together a small recon... Not a full infiltration, but somewhat of a test... Lead by Corporal Levi."

Levi raised his eyebrows at the girls proposal. When the two men were silent, Mikasa continued. "It would be better than doing nothing, in my opinion, sir. It would at least give us a chance to look for any sign of a trail. And I know that both Corporal Levi and I are perfectly capable of killing regular titans, so if we don't run directly into any of the shifters, there wouldn't be much of a risk at all..."

After a few moments of silence, Irvin's eyes fell on Mikasa. "So, you're proposing we enact somewhat of a research mission?"

She nodded. "essentially, yes."

"Hmm. Perhaps you've brought up a good point. What do you think, Levi?"

Levi sighed. "I hate to admit it, but Ackerman doesn't have the wrong idea." He sent the girl a look, but she kept her determined gaze glued on Irvin. The Commander's expression only held more stress.

"I'll think it over, alright? For now, leave me alone, please."

Mikasa stood to attention immediately and saluted. "Thank you for your time, sir." She said, before turning to leave. She shut the door behind her, leaving Irvin with Levi, who looked as bored as ever.

"You too, Levi." The man said, receiving a grimace from the Corporal.

"Have it your way." He yawned, before taking the door. He noticed Mikasa's retreating figure down the hall and called out to her. She had walked quickly in hopes of avoiding the man, so when he called her name, she froze in her tracks. She waited for him to catch up to her before turning around.

"Corporal..." She muttered, avoiding his eyes.

Levi sighed. "You never listen to me, do you, Mikasa?" She didn't answer, noticing his uncharacteristic use of her first name. "Regardless, I suppose I should give you more credit sometimes. I figured that you were going to just waste Commander Irvin's time with an emotional banter, but you brought up a decent point."

Her eyes flickered to him suspiciously. Was he praising her?

"Yes, sir." She said, shifting her weight uncomfortably under his gaze. A somewhat awkward silence filled the air.

"I will be seeing you tomorrow, then." Levi said, retreating down the hall. Mikasa was going in the same direction, but decided to wait until he was long gone before advancing.

* * *

**A/N: **Hey everyone, thanks a bunch for reading, reviewing, faving and following my last chapter. Sorry that it took me so long to muster up a second . I'm trying hard to capture my exact vision for this fic... Hopefully it turns out alright. Please **review **and let me know your thoughts, be they good or bad!

Also, the setting of this fic, as I'm sure everyone knows is supposed to be set after the events currently happening in the manga. In this story, Eren ended up getting captured by Reiner and Berthold, leaving the legion with no choice but to return. So now they're just trying to figure out what to do 8) I have no idea what's going to be happening next in the actual manga so I'll just be branching off of this storyline that I have going on here.

Please review!


	3. Tragically Beautiful

**Humanity's Strongest Pair**

* * *

**_chapter three; _**_tragically beautiful_

* * *

"How are you feeling today?" The sound of his voice sent chills up Mikasa's spine. She didn't turn her head to him as he took the empty seat across from her at the table, noting that she was sitting alone during lunch.

"Go away..." She muttered under her breath. "People are staring at us."

Levi scoffed. "Really, Mikasa? I thought we talked about the unimportance of those petty rumors." He crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow at the girl, who glowered at him mercilessly.

"It's still uncomfortable for me, okay?"

"I don't care. Why are you sitting alone?" His eyes flashed to Armin, Jean, Sasha and Connie, where Mikasa would usually be sitting. He thought it was particularly odd that she would choose being alone rather than with her friends, not that he blamed her.

"I just felt like it, sir." She said bitterly, poking at her stew with her fork.

"And you haven't touched your food."

She dropped the fork and shot the man daggers. "I'm working on it." She picked up the bread and took a bite of it, if anything, just to get Levi off her case.

"Well hurry up, you've got shit to clean." He said as he stood up, leaving Mikasa with an enraged pout. She wasn't concerned about cleaning the damn HQ at that point, as she was ridden with anxiety. Eren was out there, while she was sitting around eating bread and cold stew. She glared at Levi's retreating figure, then forced herself to eat the rest of her food. She would need the energy for whatever torture the Corporal had in mind, anyway.

But oddly enough, when the time rolled around, Levi didn't send Mikasa to the stables or have her dust shelves, but brought her into his office and had her sit while he read through papers. The girl was seated for well over twenty minutes before she shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat, gaining a glance from the man.

"Yes?" He inquired.

"What are we doing, sir?"

"Well, I'm sorting through these documents that Irvin gave me. You are watching."

She was silent for a moment, giving Levi a look that read _are you fucking serious? _"Can I ask why?" She said finally.

"Because. Once I'm done with this, I'm going to need you. And I don't feel like seeking you out again."

Mikasa rolled her eyes and crossed one leg over the other. She really was baffled how one man could be so ridiculous, while being a highly respected figure of authority. She was beginning to know Humanity's Strongest Solider, and he was weird. She noticed that she had been staring at him while he read, and changed her perspective to the things he had carefully placed around the room. It really was immaculate, as Levi was known as a clean freak.

_Emphasis on the freak... _

"Well, that should cover that..." Levi muttered, organizing the papers into one neat pile. He put the file in his desk, before he clasped his hands together and met with Mikasa's bored eyes. "So, let's say Commander Irvin gives me permission to form a squad to go outside the walls. Which one of your bratty colleagues would you recommend?"

Mikasa was taken back by this. Was he really asking her opinion, or was there something else up his sleeve? She wouldn't be surprised if this was somehow a way to taunt her. "Well, I would recommend Armin. His skills in battle aren't the best, but he is incredibly smart-"

"Alert is already on my list." He rudely cut her off. "I've seen what he can do, but I know essentially nothing about the rest of those pigs... Which is why I'm asking you."

Mikasa frowned at his crude description. "Well, Jean is very good in battle. He isn't the most level-headed person, but-"

"I'll see what he's capable of. Next?"

The girl's eyebrows furrowed. "Are you going to let me finish _any _of my sentences, _sir?"_

"I just want names, Ackerman. Give me names and I'll investigate the troops myself. I'm trusting your judgement just this once, as I don't have the time to sort through every member of the damn Legion."

_But you have the time to toy with me? _She thought grimly, thinking that Corporal Levi was just being lazy and didn't like people. "Alright, fine." She continued. "Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie. They are the only people left who I've personally battled with. But in my opinion, I think that anyone who's made it this far deserves a chance-"

"Noted. I'll speak with those four later. If they aren't fit, then I'll just have to observe the other soldiers."

She decided that it wasn't worth it to even comment on how rude he was. He knew that he was an ass, and she concluded that he did it on purpose.

"So, do you think that Commander Irvin is going to pass this?" She asked after he had written her suggestions.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Possibly. I don't know. But at this point, he doesn't have many options, so we'll see." _This would be a lot easier if I still had my damn squad... _Levi mused, flinching at the last memory of his team. Mikasa noticed the man's expression change from bored, to pained, and back to bored again. When he met her eyes, he seemed unfocused.

"Well then, let's get to the training grounds." He cleared his throat, before standing up, the chair underneath him making an awful scratching noise as he pushed it away. Mikasa mimicked his action and followed him out the door. And typically, those who passed by them, glanced in their direction.

Mikasa thought about what Levi had said the other day; the adults weren't talking about it, just the kids. He was probably right, since the only people who looked at them oddly were the people in Mikasa's age group.

But still.

She adjusted her jacket uncomfortably as she followed behind to Corporal, trekking across the field until they found a clear spot to spar.

"Maybe I'll go easy on you today..." Levi spoke whimsically as the two faced each other, eyes piercing like thick needles.

"There's no need for that." She said through gritted teeth, irked when Levi raised a condescending eyebrow. This time, she was the first one to lunge at him. He caught her fist and twisted her around, thus creating a vicious cycle; Mikasa would throw a punch, and Levi would catch it, twist her in some random position, let her go, and so on. During this struggle, Mikasa's body took auto pilot form; she was lost in her thought, only focusing on her fists.

She grew angrier and angrier every time she missed him. _How am I supposed to save Eren when I can't even land a punch on this guy? _She thought, biting her lip so hard that it started to bleed. Rage ran so viciously through her veins, it felt like her head could pop off at any moment. She threw her fists violently at the man, her pace quickening with her strength, and Levi was noticing.

Ackerman was especially pissed off that day. He never let his eyes leave her face, catching all the detail in her angered expressions; reading all the fleeting emotions with every flash of teeth, furrow of eyebrows and bite of her lip. He had an odd thought, then, as he watched her fruitlessly attack him.

She was tragically beautiful.

And that was when Levi was the one to lose his focus. He lost sight of her movements, too mesmerised by the face he'd never actually _looked _at before. Mikasa was half oriental, the very last of her kind. Her fierce eyes were almond-shaped, rimmed with thick lashes, and her skin tone was creamy yet pale. She was literally like no human he had ever seen before, and he picked a bad time to notice it. In that split second, Mikasa was able to land a punch in the Corpoal's gut.

And it _hurt. _

Not enough to make him stagger, but enough to throw him _way _off guard. instinctively, recognizing that he had been hurt, he grabbed the girl and threw her on the ground, finding himself pinning her to the damp grass beneath him; face to face, chest to chest, eye to eye. The anger instantly left her orbs, replacing the emotion with something closer to utter shock. She'd never looked so innocent and confused.

"C-Corporal?" She asked virtuously, before he threw himself off her, only allowing the strange moment to last but a few seconds. The atmosphere around the two had changed now, as they sat in the grass, shrouded in an awkward silence.

Levi roughly cleared his throat. "Well, you got me. Damn brat..." When he dared to glance over at the girl, he was in awe to see a smile plastered on her face. Now, that was a new sight.

"I got you..." She grinned in disbelief. "I actually punched you, right in the gut." She stood up to her feet and towered over him, her happy expression now dressed in the serious look she always wore. She pointed her finger in his face. "I finally got you."

He scratched the back of his head and looked away. "What, do you want a fucking medal or something?"

"At least give me some recognition, here."

Levi glared at her and smacked her hand away, before standing up and dusting the grass off his pants. "I let my guard down." He said simply, and Mikasa gaped at him. He started to walk towards the forest.

"Are you serious? I hit you!" She yelled at his retreating figure, and he simply signalled for her to follow.

* * *

Levi had cut their session short that day, finding his dwindling thoughts of Mikasa, among other things, souring his mood. He advanced to his bedroom on the second floor. Other than his office and the forest at night, it was the only place where he could find solace. With an exhausted sigh, the man fell on his bed, staring blankly at the stone ceiling above him. Images of her face seemed imprinted in his mind, and it was irritating. He didn't want to think about her. He wasn't one to pay attention to any more detail other than battle skill and wits.

He shook his head then. _No, I'm not attracted to her. She's just a stupid kid with a pretty face. _

Despite it being early, Levi found himself drifting off, mentally exhausted with the days thoughts. He had allowed the chilling vision of his former squad to enter his mind again; he tried to block it out, but occasionally, it slithered through the crevices of his mind and surfaced like a writhing serpent. He could try to step on the snake, but it would always slither away though the tall grass, waiting to make another unwelcome appearance.

He fluttered open his eyes to see that the sun was setting. It would be odd for him to sleep then, but he would do it anyway. He took off all his gear, stripping down to nothing but undergarments and crawled under the covers. He needed to catch up on his missed rest from the past few days, anyway. Silently, the Corporal wandered off into sleep, the unwanted face of a certain girl entering his mind more than once.

* * *

Mikasa noticed something a bit different about Levi the next day. He seemed quiet, and distant in thought. He didn't want to spar with her, just had her practise in the forest and in the field with the titan dummys. He watched idly, admiring her skill from afar. _They say she's worth a hundred soldiers... _Levi pondered. _It would be an awful shame if she were to die under my command..._

And there were those images again. The bodies of humanity's strongest team, scattered like squashed bugs among the trees. He shuddered, shaking those images from his mind. He needed to focus on the present and the future, not the past. And if he could control anything, it would be preserving what was left of humanity's hope. He was a staple for that, and so was Mikasa. She had been the one to tear the female titan down and stop her from escaping while Levi was rendered injured. She had proven herself more than worthy of a spot on his squad.

But even still, he wasn't sure if he could handle losing any more talented young soldiers under his watch.

"Ackerman." He called out to her as she had taken down the last titan dummy in the open field. "That was... Good." He muttered. Her expression twisted in shock.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." He retorted. "Forget it. Let's go."

Mikasa smirked to herself as she followed him. She'd heard it right from his mouth, and that was enough for her, even if she never heard it again. Knowing that he was finally recognizing her skill was a proud moment; to her, it meant that she'd made a small dent in his wall. _One day, I'll match your level... No, one day, I will surpass you. _

* * *

_Blood. _

_The curdling sound of bodies being shredded apart by giant, humanoid hands, and bones being crushed beneath their unforgiving teeth._

_She was running; no, she was flying. She was using her gear to fly through the trees. And there was Annie, humongous in her titan form, holding Eren's lifeless body between her fingers. She grinned at Mikasa evilly, and Mikasa's heart seemed to stop. Eren's body was being torn in half, his insides spilling out slowly the farther she beast tore his upper from his lower body. _

Mikasa awoke in a cold sweat, horrid memories of that nightmare passing through her head. After all the many nightmares she'd had about such terrible things, she never got used to them. She breathed heavily, before grabbing the glass of water on her bedside table and chugging it greedily. Her chest wretched painfully, and she gripped it, terrified that she might have a heart attack due to the image she just saw.

Of course, she calmed down within moments. It always took her a minute to gather herself after a dream like that. Mikasa had bad dreams every night, but not all of them were so vivid. It was the extremely lucid ones, the ones that really made her mind think they were _real, _that made her react the way she did. She stood up and put on the robe she'd been given, compliments of Commander Irvin for being such a 'star solider'. As quietly as she could, she crept from her bedroom and down the hall, wary of anyone who may also be awake.

This was always her routine. She would creep from her bedroom and get some much-needed air, hoping that it would calm her senses enough to sleep again. As she turned down the hall, she caught a glimpse of a figure. Instantly, she hid herself behind the wall, listening carefully for any footsteps. But there were none. She dared to peek over again, and saw that the man was just standing there, holding something flat in his hand. It didn't take Mikasa long to realize that it was Corporal Levi.

Of course it was. No one else seemed so weird as to wander the halls at night much like herself. She knew that it would have been smarter to turn back then, but curiosity got the best of her. She stepped from behind the wall and took a few steps closer, gaining his attention. The man looked to her with tired, half lidded eyes.

"Ackerman..." He said, putting the object back on the bookshelf he was standing before. "What are you doing here?"

"I need air." She said, taking a few wary steps closer to the man. He seemed to be giving off an especially ominous aura, and his actions were impossible to predict; she couldn't tell if it was a good idea to talk to him or run away. But he didn't stop her, or glare her any daggers. He simply watched as she inquisitively approached him.

"What are you wearing?" He sneered, looking away from her oddly.

"A robe..." She pointed to him. "You're wearing the same one." He looked down at his dark green robe and rolled his eyes. She didn't get what he was saying. He met up with her face to face, entering her personal bubble, and grabbed the two folds of the robe that exposed some of her chest. She nearly jumped at the contact, ready to knock his lights out, until she realized that he was adjusting it for her. She flushed then, unaware that she was showing skin.

_Please tell me he didn't see my breasts... _She thought darkly. She was in such a strange, sleepy state of mind that she hadn't even noticed her exposed chest bone.

"I didn't see anything." He said, reading what she was thinking through her embarrassed expression. "It was a close call, though."

The blush on her face only deepened, and she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "Uh, thanks, I guess, for covering that..."

"Why are you out, Ackerman?" He queried through an exasperated sigh.

"I had a bad dream, sir..." She muttered, instantly regretting letting that slip out. As if she wasn't embarrassed enough already. _Wait, since when do I care what he thinks?_

"About what?"

Mikasa was surprised to hear the genuinely curious tone in his voice. He would probably just mock her, but she spilled it anyway. "I saw Eren getting torn in half by Annie in her titan form..." She shuddered at the fresh image.

"Ah, one of those." He mused. "Even with age, those never go away."

"Is that why you're awake too, Corporal?"

"Naturally." He glanced over at the shelf, before gearing his body to walk away. "Come." He commanded, and Mikasa hesitantly complied. They were silent as they walked through the halls, both of them light on their feet. They found the exit, only to find the night sky to be unfortunately cloudy. "It's going to rain." Levi said, leading Mikasa to one of the benches. "I can smell it in the air... Though it also kind of smells like horse shit. That's not you, is it?"

Mikasa glared at him in return. "No."

"Lighten up, Ackerman. That was supposed to be a joke."

"It wasn't very funny..." She muttered. Levi sat close to her on the bench and crossed one of his legs, spreading his arm casually on the bench behind her. He wasn't touching her, but she could feel the heat from his arm too close to her body.

"Can I ask what you were looking at in the hall?"

"Well, I was just on my way outside, when I noticed the book shelf. So, I was looking at a book." He replied sarcastically.

"Well what book was it?"

"Why do you care?" He snarled, transitioning from calm to on edge in a split second.

"I was just wondering, never mind..." She murmured, wanting to rid herself of him now. She thought he seemed alright, but nope. He was still the same asshole she knew in the daylight. She sat there awkwardly, waiting for him to tell her to leave.

"It was the favourite book of... Someone that I used to know." He said, somewhat sadly after several minutes of silence. He looked off into the distance apathetically, and Mikasa's façade melted. He was snarky because he was sad, because he was thinking about someone close to him who was no longer there. She understood him then, wallowing in their melancholy akin.

"You can tell me, if you want... I mean, I doubt you want to, but-" Mikasa was cut off then, feeling the Corporal grab her by the shoulders and shift her closer to him so she was tucked tightly beneath his grasp. He forced her to rest her head in the crook of his neck, placing his chin comfortably on the top of her head. Mikasa was stunned, her eyes nearly bulging right out of her head. "Corporal..." She managed to wheeze past the lump in her throat. He was holding her. _Her superior _was basically hugging her on the bench.

It was way too erratic for the girl's tired mind to comprehend. Her body was tense like stone, but after a few moments of silence, she started to feel the warmth that he was giving her, and the way his heart softly pounded. It made her feel... Safe. Her statuesque veneer thawed, cracking below his touch.

"I'm sorry, Mikasa." His voice sounded, breaking their blanket of silence. She pulled her head away from him and went to meet his eyes, but he had already grabbed the back of her skull, and placed a soft kiss on the center of her forehead. It left a warm sensation of which she'd never felt before, and as his lips collided with her skin, a flutter ran ramped through her chest. "I should get some sleep. I do stupid ass shit when I'm tired." He stood up, trailing his fingers along the line of her shoulders as he did so. He couldn't bring himself to look into her innocent eyes; so he walked away. He left her on the bench and returned inside alone.

_That was fucked up... _She thought, trying to catch her uneven breath. She lightly touched her forehead where he had placed the kiss. No one had ever touched her like that, in fact, she'd never really thought about it before. But now, she was curious.

* * *

Levi lead Mikasa over to a hill that just overlooked the field, where they watched some of the other soldiers rebuild the dummy's Mikasa had previously destroyed. They'd spent the day as they normally would; they sparred, bickered, and trained, speaking no word of last night's encounter. Levi plopped down in the grass, using his hands to support himself up so he could watch the soldiers rebuild the field.

"Sit." He told her, and with a sigh, she took the spot beside him. And there they were, wasting time yet again. Mikasa pulled her knees to her chest and zoned out, her mind drifting in the field like the little balls of fuzz that floated aimlessly. The sun was beating down against them, warming the skin under their uniforms. Mikasa stared up at the bright blue sky that was painted with only the lightest touch of feathery white.

"Here." Levi's voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked to him quizzically. In his hand, he held a bright red apple. It had been a long time since Mikasa had seen the brilliant fruit, so she took a moment to marvel in its crimson reflection.

"I can have this?" She asked with incredulity.

"Just take it." He sputtered, shoving it in her hand. Mikasa eyed him distrustfully, but accepted his 'gift' regardless. She couldn't help but wonder if he'd poisoned it.

"You are a strange man, Corporal Levi." She said, breaking the apple in half.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She handed him the other half, and he simply stared at it.

"I don't want it."

"Take it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't want it."

"Just eat it."

"No."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You did something to it, didn't you?"

His eyes flashed to hers then, holding a certain fury. "What the fuck would I _do _to it?"

"I don't know. You could have poisoned it or rubbed it in shit."

Levi raised his eyebrows. "Really? You think I fucked with it? Fine then, I'll eat it." He snatched the half from her hand and took a bite, and looked to see Mikasa with an accomplished sneer on her face. She proceeded to eat the apple, indulging in how sweet and delicious it was. It was worlds better than her normal crappy beef stew and stale bread.

"Thank you." She peeped once she had finished, throwing her core in the same direction Levi had tossed his.

"Whatever." He mumbled.

Mikasa's gaze frolicked across Levi's profile. "There has been something distracting me all day." She said, obtaining his attention. She faltered on her words, finding his glare to be deterring.

"I've noticed." He stated. "Well, spit it out already."

"Why did you do that last night? That... Thing you did to my forehead."

"Ah. The_ kiss."_

She nodded, speculating how he could speak so nonchalantly about it, as if it never even happened. Mikasa was ignorant that his mind had been engrossed in his foolish action since he'd committed it. "I didn't mean to confuse you. Don't think anything of it. It was nothing." He spoke with an icy tone, as to be expected. It was foolish of Mikasa to think that there was something else behind that action; that she had seen another side of Levi.

But he had lied to her, it wasn't _nothing. _It was definitely something, but unfortunately, something that he shouldn't have done. Superior and subordinate; that's all they were, all they could be.

"I see." She said blandly. Of course she didn't want it to be anything. She didn't like Levi. She had never liked him. So she was confused about why the hell she felt a strange pang in her chest when he said it meant _nothing. _Why she'd felt content and protected when he wrapped his shoulder around her, and why her heart had quivered when he kissed her forehead.

_Didn't mean to confuse me, my ass... _Mikasa thought, glowering at her feet. He was the most confusing man ever. He acted like he thought of her as nothing but an insolent child, but then he held her in his arms on the bench and fucking kissed her forehead.

_Yeah, definitely confused. _

And now, she was kinda pissed. She stood up and started to walk away, saying nothing to the Corporal. "Hey, where the hell are you going?" He called after her, but she kept on walking. "Ackerman, I didn't dismiss you, you damn brat." He got up and ran after her, noticing that her fists were clenched. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

She geared around to face him, her expression entirely callous. "I have to use the wash room." She lied through pursed lips, storming away from the man. But Levi wasn't stupid, he knew that she was lying. He knew that he'd pissed her off.

_Great, _he thought with a roll of his eyes. _And now I've created another dilemma for myself..._

* * *

**A/N: **Holy shit, I don't think I've ever gained so many followers on just two chapters... You guys are awesome! Though I do wish you would review too, hehe. Regardless I hope that you like this chapter, got some LeviMika in thurrr. Hopefully it wasn't rushed or whatever. Let me know what you think!

**PLEASE REVIEW! **


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